09 Dec 2025
Photo by NOAA A large-scale deep-sea mining trial has caused a 37% decline in the abundance of animals living on the Pacific Ocean floor, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The research provides critical evidence as international regulators debate whether to permit commercial seabed mining. Scientists from […]
02 Dec 2025
Photo by Samuel Costa Melo COP30 in Belém, Brazil, elevated the ocean, bringing it closer to the heart of the global climate agenda, but the deep sea representing roughly 90% of the ocean stayed buried in the margins, with the world’s biggest natural carbon sink not receiving mention in the final decision texts. Brazil announced today at COP30 […]
11 Nov 2025
Photo by Naomi August Deep-sea mining operations could severely disrupt marine life in the ocean’s “twilight zone” by replacing nutritious food particles with sediment “junk food,” according to the first study to examine the impact of mining waste on this critical ecosystem. Research published in Nature Communications found that 53% of all zooplankton and […]
28 Oct 2025
Pacific activists protest exploration vessel as geopolitical rivalry intensifies over critical mineral resources. Photo by NOAA The United States and China are engaged in an intensifying competition for access to deep-sea mineral resources in the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone, raising concerns amongst environmental campaigners and indigenous communities about the ecological and geopolitical implications of […]
05 May 2025
The head of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has responded to US President Donald Trump’s order establishing a framework for American companies to identify and commercially extract offshore critical minerals and resources in both National and International waters. Photo: Jeremy Bishop / Pexels ISA head, Leticia Carvalho, said in a statement referencing the Order: “The […]
01 Apr 2025
Canadian deep-sea mining firm, The Metals Company (TMC), has formally initiated a process under the U.S. Department of Commerce to apply for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits under existing U.S. legislation, the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980 (DSHMRA). The Company said that following extensive legal diligence on DSHMRA, regulations and other […]
04 Feb 2025
Portugal’s parliament has approved the drafting of a moratorium on deep sea mining in territorial waters to 2050. On January 30th, the Portuguese parliament debated a moratorium on deep sea mining until 2050, with four parties presenting bills. On January 31st, lawmakers adopted in first reading several texts from various parties, including the ruling group […]
03 Dec 2024
Norway has paused its controversial project to open up its seabed for commercial-scale deep-sea mining. Oslo had planned to let companies apply to mine 280,000 sq km (108,000 sq miles) of its waters for precious metals – an area equivalent to Italy – situated between Svalbard and Jan Mayen Island in the Arctic region. The […]
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